Welcome to the Andrew W. Mellon Opportunity for Diversity in Conservation! The UCLA/Getty Interdepartmental Program in the Conservation of Cultural Heritage has received three generous grants from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to help address underrepresentation in the study and practice of conservation. The first grant supported a four-year pilot program (2017-2020), the second supported phase two (2020-2023), and building on the successes of the prior years, phase three (2024-2026) is underway! Read about the most recent Mellon Foundation investment and the power of more inclusive preservation at the UCLA Newsroom.

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Art Museum Staff Demographic 2015 Survey notes “that diverse educational pipelines into curatorial, conservation, and other art museum careers are going to be critical if art museums wish to have truly diverse staff and inclusive cultures.” While one of the key findings in a follow up 2018 Survey notes, “Among intellectual leadership positions, education and curatorial departments have grown more diverse in terms of race/ethnicity, while conservation and museum leadership have not changed.”

This program strives to introduce students from underrepresented backgrounds to conservation as a profession, to build necessary skills through funded, hands-on workshops and internships, and to foster long-term support through mentoring.